Gaskell subbed himself towards the end of the Dewsbury game after pulling up with what looked like a muscle strain somewhere in his leg. So probably more injured than rested. Just gives a chance to one of our other half back options.....oh wait....

FWIW Sammut is also not in Workingtons 19man squad. I would also have kept a couple of the younger lads in for this one, not sure what Oakes did wrong to lose his place in the squad.

Only change I'd make to that team would be swapping Clare and Campbell. He was signed as a fullback so perfect opportunity to give him a go there. Can always swap back during game if he's having a mare.

I think maybe why he dropped some of the youngsters is because we have a massive game against London next week and i think we need to go with the senior players for that. Disappointed O'brien will do 80 minutes again though.

Don't think Oakes did anything to lose his spot, to be honest, but he's still just a kid and shouldn't be playing first team rugby every week - he's a good prospect and he's being eased into the side, good coaching, imo.

That's true enough - but on that basis we're never going to give them much of chance. Almost every game against one of the weaker teams, we're going to be playing someone stronger the following week.

As the saying goes 'you can only play what's in front of you'

Why are we flogging O'Brien for 80 minutes against the basement team?

Oh I'd agree with easing him in, its just I'd play him this week against the weakest side in the comp and then pull him out before the London game.

We are practising with no halves so that next year when Gaskell has gone and we have Leon in his place but he has gone AWOL in the game as he does we will know exactly what to do. I can see their thinking - very clever.

Wouldn't be too surprised if we didnt try thomas at standoff alongside addy and move purtell back to either. Important as gettind a good result is, this is type of game where we have chance to give fringe players a chance.

Has Sammut ever played against us since he left?. Remember him asking no to play against us for wakefield and them not selecting him. Cant remember him playing against us for either london or workington last year either.

Now you mention it, I don't recall him playing against us since he left. Don't have the stats to hand though....if only we had a resident recently confessed super geek with all the stats to tell us definitively....

Both league fixtures in 2014. One goal in the first one at their place (23-10 to us on Feb 20th), two goals in the return fixture at Odsal (20-12 to us on Jun 1st). Crap both times as I recall.

I think Wakey had hoofed him by the time we got to play them in the two 2015 M8 fixtures. I don't have teams for those games cos I'm not as good at this as I prefer people to think.

I'm not the super geek you need but I am the super geek you deserve.

Just to be a bit contentious, it should be remembered that we did not play last week so perhaps some of them need the run out.